Big Blog Update

The major news of course is the tragedy at Greensburg, Kansas. The 1.7 mile wide beast obliterated the small town of about 1500. Ten people lost their lives. This tornado will certainly be added to the dark pages of history along with Hallam, Jarrell, Moore, and Wichita Falls.


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If you haven't already seen the aerial photos of Greensburg, you can view them here.

However, even in the worst tragedies, the human spirit and heart rises to it's highest level as people rush to help and offer whatever aid they can muster. Surrounding communities and first responders don't even wait until they are called...they simply react. In a world today overflowing with selfish indulgence and total disregard for others, it is moving to see such an outpouring of aid and assistance. I thought this illustration by Richard Crowson of the Wichita Eagle was perfect:



One of the notable heros in this event is Mike Umscheid who was manning the DDC radar at the National Weather Service office. He tracked the storm and was issuing the SVS tornado emergency warning prior top the storm hitting Greensburg. Read his account here. No doubt his warnings saved some lives as well as getting the word out quicker that Greensburg had been hit hard which got the first responders heading there quicker.

Team MESO was very instrumental in their efforts as first responders. They really made a huge difference from their accounts which you can read: Account One and Account Two. What an incredible story. I stand and applaude their efforts. These guys are the real deal despite being ridiculed and outcast from the stormchasing community not too long ago.

Some other stormchasers pursuing the tornado were ahead of the first responders in offering some aid and assistance. Dick McGowan, Darin Brunin, Derek Shaffer and Dan Robinson were some of the ones that searched for and assisted victims. A tip of the hat to you guys. Read Dick's blog report about it. He also has some video clips as well.

This event should serve as a reminder that it is a good idea to learn first aid. After my experience with the Anna/Westminster tornadoes a year ago, I finally got off my duff and did it. Being in a situation like that and not knowing what to do properly is a horrible experience. I carry boots, jeans, rain suit, spotlight and heavy gloves at all times now. I need to get a good first aid kit as well and just haven't done it yet. It's easy to put it off until an event like this happens. Plus, by knowing how to perform proper CPR is a good thing because of lightning too. One split second can turn a fun-filled chase day into one where your chase partner is struck by a CG.

Something I'm reminded of as I watch TWC coverage, one of the biggest things some of the residents there will want help with are recovering personal items. A great volunteer effort somebody can take is searching outside of the Greensburg area. It's a massive effort and one often overlooked. Just start out from "ground zero" and work your way outward. With such a violent tornado, stuff could end up many many miles away. Most of that will be paper items likely already destroyed by rain. But, closer to Greensburg, some more valuable items will likely be found...like photos. You have to be careful though as you might be perceived as as souvenier hunter (another reason to go do this to help prevent that), so be prepared to be confronted. It wouldn't hurt to check in with local authorities first. The reward though is finding something that one of the victims would cherish....it's all many of them have left.

The meteorological aspect of this event is certainly going to be a case study. I'll be sure to post some links in the future as these studies come out. I'm sure there will be plenty. In the meantime, this was a classic setup synoptically in addition to the surface parameters. I discovered an EXCELLENT synoptic and mesoscale study of violent tornadoes by three NWS meteorologists Chris Broyles (AMA), Richard Wynne (AMA), and Neal Dipasquale (LWX). Click on that link above for some serious forecasting weeniness. I discovered this by reading Brian Lovern's (VAwxman) blog that analyzes the Greensburg event with the same parameters. I highly recommend it.

This weekend also produced one of the most amazing and intense chaser video I've ever seen of a close encounter with a tornado. Since words can't describe it, go experience it for yourself and watch Joel Taylor and Reed Timmer's wild video. I've watched it several times myself. It is going to be the #1 video at the Supercell Deprivation Treatment Center. :-) I can't help but mention how the stormchaser police aren't saying anything negative about it either like they did a few years ago with David Drummond's close encounter and Randy Hicks and crew last year. Amazing how one event changes everything. ;-)

I also got to witness one of the most stunning and incredible tornadic supercells on Friday. It was nothing short of stormchaser's wet dream to witness something like that. For me personally, it was the perfect storm. I wish I would have had a wider angled lens to capture all of it as well as been a tad further north to get more of that awesome vault region. But, nevertheless, I feel quite fortunate to have been able to witness it...especially after my terrible fiascos this season.

As this week winds down and gets boring, I'll have time to really work on those pics to get better detail and color out of them closer to what I remember seeing with my own eye. I might even play with digital art abit with it and see what happens. I'm going to review all of my video as well and post some captures. I'll also include what I can get out of the 5/5 Vici night tornado encounter. The trooper's reaction after escaping it's clutches is priceless.

I also have a few other pics to post later as well including a "truck/boat" or as David Drummond called it something like an "Amphibious Stormchasing Vehicle". I'm sure we'll come up with some cute names for it and welcome all ideas. That'll post later this week.

Lastly, I've got two antenna adapters coming for my GC83 card, so I'll be able to run cellular internet again and my beloved GR3. I found out just how bad it sucks without it.

For the extended outlook, it ain't looking too promising beyond some central/south/east Texas chasing the next couple of days. I am watching for the possibility of an upper low moveing across the TX PH around Thursday. But, beyond is looking terrible. The GFS is even trying to spell doomsday for chasing well into the last week of May. Given the history of the past few Mays, it is certain to cause alot of anxiety in the chasing world.

However, as Bruce Haynie said many years ago, "Those who live by the models, die by the models". The GFS has been pretty erratic beyond Day 7 and flopping quite abit. The ECMWF, which has done extremely well this year as usual and often totally ignored by quite a few long-range chase forecasting, is indicating some hope in about 7 days as it tries to energize the subtropical jet to punch in and smack the ridge. It is also less aggressive with the east coast troughiness. I likie that. ;-) So, we'll see. At least it will give residents of tornado alley some time to recover peacefully.

That's it for me...for now.